Lam Thao Actively Prepares for the Hung Kings' Commemoration Festival

With only a few days left until the Hung Kings' Commemoration Festival and the 2025 Fatherland Culture – Tourism Week, Lam Thao District is actively preparing various activities and training for competitions to achieve the best results. These efforts aim to contribute to a meaningful festival experience for visitors making their pilgrimage to the Fatherland.

For many consecutive years, Lam Thao has been selected to participate in the palanquin procession to Hung Kings' Temple during the festival. Currently, the Hy Son Communal House Management Committee in Hung Son Town is reviewing and preparing essential items, refurbishing the palanquin, flags, parasols, and decorations, while also selecting and training participants for the ceremonial procession.

According to legend, Hy Son Communal House was once a place where the Hung Kings visited to admire the scenery and observe military drills. In remembrance of the Hung Kings“contributions, the villagers of Hy Son built a communal house to worship them, with ancestral tablets similar to those at Hung Kings” Temple, honoring the 18 generations of Hung Kings and mountain deities. The communal house holds its main festival on the 10th day of the third lunar month, coinciding with the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day. In the past, the village also had the tradition of carrying the palanquin to Hung Kings' Temple to offer ceremonial tributes. Additionally, two other annual ceremonies take place on the 6th day of the second lunar month (Spring Festival) and the 14th day of the eighth lunar month (Autumn Festival).

Today, Hy Son Communal House remains a sacred place of worship, fulfilling the spiritual and cultural tradition of “remembering the source of the water we drink” for the residents of residential areas 13, 14, and 15. Participants in the palanquin procession are carefully selected from these communities, symbolizing the deep reverence and gratitude of the local people towards their ancestors and the Hung Kings.

This year’s Hung Kings“Commemoration Festival at the Hung Kings” Temple Historical Site will feature many familiar cultural activities, including the traditional square sticky rice cake (bánh chưng) wrapping and cooking competition, glutinous rice cake (bánh giầy) pounding, cultural performances at the cultural camp, and exhibitions showcasing local specialties.

For the second consecutive year, Xuan Lung Commune has been selected to represent Lam Thao District in the bánh chưng wrapping and cooking competition and the bánh giầy pounding contest. These competitions will take place on April 5 (the 8th day of the third lunar month) at the Hung Kings' Temple Historical Site.

Upon receiving the district’s plan, Xuan Lung Commune promptly selected members for two teams: one for wrapping and cooking bánh chưng and another for pounding bánh giầy. The selected members are strong, skillful, enthusiastic, agile, and experienced in traditional food preparation. They are currently training diligently to perfect their techniques, ensuring seamless coordination in each step of the process. Their goal is to achieve the highest ranking in the competition, securing the honor of making ceremonial cakes for the Hung Kings' main commemoration ceremony next year.

According to Mr. Nguyen Hong Phuong, Deputy Director of the District Center for Culture, Sports, Tourism, and Media, the district has issued a plan for its participation in the Hung Kings' Commemoration Festival and the Fatherland Culture – Tourism Week. The plan mandates that all communes and towns participate in cultural performances at the cultural camp. Specifically, Phung Nguyen Commune is responsible for selecting, training, and leading a delegation to the Phu Tho Folk Singing and Xoan Singing Festival, while Xuan Lung Commune is in charge of the traditional food competition. Additionally, the district is actively selecting and training athletes for traditional sports competitions and preparing its signature products for display at the Phu Tho OCOP Trade Fair and the district’s cultural camp exhibition, highlighting its distinctive traditional and local products.

Vy An